Why you need to OWN your Content

Homebase: Why you need to OWN your content

Go ahead, push a button. Make my day!

The other day a good friend of mine Lesley Lambert tweeted that her Facebook Page was still there but all the content of hers was not.

That’s weird. She’s been adding content to her Facebook Page for a very long time. She’s a regular blogger and has hundreds if not thousands of posts, most all of which she’s shared on her Page. So I went to look and…

Gone! Not a single post. Not only that but she’s a great “engager”. Each post had many responses and conversations – they were gone too!

Lucky for her she didn’t lose her page completely. It came back within a few hours. It was probably just a bug in the Facebook system.

The point I’m trying to make here is that all is not lost. Even if the page was deleted completely, every bit of content she created is still on her “Homebase”. That’s her blog.

THE POINT:

So the moral of the story is you have to OWN your content. Remember, on Facebook we’re playing in Mark Zuckerbergs Sandbox. We don’t own our page or our profile. The images we upload? They are really his. The same goes for most all things social media. While you may have a copyright on the video you uploaded to YouTube, if it’s accidentally deleted by their system who are you going to call to get it back? That’s why, for most instances I’ll say that should be a self hosted WordPress blog. The blog should be Homebase to most all your content. You own the name, you control the hosting, and you alone are responsible for the backup (should the server malfunction – and it happens!)

Can your page just disappear? You bet it could. Ask Eric Hemlpler. It happened to him!

Lesley’s Page: http://www.facebook.com/lesleylambert.realestate

Lesley’s Blog: http://www.lesleylambert.com/

Go ahead, push a button. Make my day!

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Mike Mueller

Mike builds the custom Apps that create the Tabs that make Custom Facebook Pages special. He builds Discount WordPress Blogs and shoots commercial high def video. He's an avid hockey fan, rides a motorcycle (a really fast one), loves strong beer and good red wine.

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http://www.realcentralva.com Jim Duncan

I’ve been saying this for *years*. I’m just about to finally enter the Facebook Page world, but am very cognizant of the fact that my content there is fleeting, at best, and likely will be repurposed to profit Facebook more than me.

Publishing content on Facebook is like renting a house owned by a landlord who changes the heating from gas to heatpump without telling you, might turn off the water or move the front door with no notice, perhaps even change the locks. But … everyone needs a place to live.

http://AreWeConnected.com mikemueller

Very Good analogy Jim-
Except for those of us in the more temperate climates. What’s a heat pump?
; )

Guest

I’ve been saying this for *years*. I’m just about to finally enter the Facebook Page world, but am very cognizant of the fact that my content there is fleeting, at best, and likely will be repurposed to profit Facebook more than me.

Publishing content on Facebook is like renting a house owned by a landlord who changes the heating from gas to heatpump without telling you, might turn off the water or move the front door with no notice, perhaps even change the locks. But … everyone needs a place to live.
Monika

I publish everything first on my self hosted wordpress blog…except my videos. You’ve made me wonder about that as I usually upload to youtube and then embed on my blog from there….but what if they disappeared off of youtube? All the embed codes on my blog would be worthless. Or am I over thinking it?

http://AreWeConnected.com mikemueller

Monika – Youtube seems to be safer than other things. I publish the videos to YT then embed them in the blog as well. Then again, all videos also get saved on my HD and chances are I’ll also upload to my Facebook Page and perhaps Flickr.
The only thing I might worry about for YT is copyright issues – if you have a song playing (even in the background)

Anonymous

I tried to respond earlier and it isn’t here! SO…better late than not at all:

I am glad that I realized quite some time ago that I needed to keep my info in one place. Lessons learned from sites like Active Rain and Ning.

http://AreWeConnected.com mikemueller

Lesley – You can never be late to the party, how can you be? You are the party!

Thank you letting me use your “issue” as an example. I see so many living on the edge and not even knowing it.

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http://twitter.com/SMMagic SocialMediaMagic

Very valid points here – we are after all at the mercy of the “hosting” social network that we are a part of.